What this means for John Boehner's speakership is an open question. Some say he has been weakened by the battle and will need to retool if he wants to recover.

Written by

Deirdre Shesgreen

House Republicans greeted Speaker John Boehner with a standing ovation and a cascade of compliments when he opened a meeting in the basement of the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon - even as he laid the groundwork for final approval of a fiscal deal that most of his GOP members vehemently opposed.

"He fought valiantly," said Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla.

There's no question that Boehner went to the mat in a fight first picked by conservatives in his conference. But the West Chester Republican emerged from the brawl looking pretty roughed up. ...